Actor Jeremy Kareken talks new UK-premiere play ‘The Value of Names’: “We all are progressives until the problem is at our doorstep”

The White Bear Theatre hosts the first-ever London run of Jeffrey Sweet’s political dark comedy, exploring the complexities of people’s moral compasses through the aftermath of McCarthy’s infamous witch hunt. Guillermo Nazara chats with one its leads, to know more about the ingrains of the show’s thought-provoking plot, depicting a disturbing episode in history that’s not too far from being written all over again today.

How does it feel to be starring in the UK premiere of a poignant, thought-provoking play?

Intimidating. This play is intimidating for its brilliance, structure, and humour. Every day, I find new thoughts, ideas, concepts hidden in it. When I first read it, I loved it. I primarily see myself as a playwright, and I thought “this is the kind of play I’d love to write.”  The piece deals with the complex morality of political and artistic alliances, but it’s also funny, warm, and chilling. I feel a lot of responsibility in portraying Benny Silverman. And that’s a terrible way to feel because the show is so damned funny, too.

What makes this play stand out from The Crucible and other plays about the blacklist?

This piece is one of the first ones that I feel accurately portrays the moral ambivalence that resulted from the blacklist. So many plays and films have such easy opinions about the people involved with that phenomenon and those who named names. We all are such high-minded and generous liberals and progressives until the problem is at our doorstep. Jeff wrote a morally complex play about the problems involved. No one on the stage is evil – they’re all decent, but flawed people. They’re all right, and they’re all wrong.

Are there any other themes explored through this narrative?

Several! How can we and how do we get over our grudges? When do our ideals get in the way of our growth? Can we serve our ideals and ourselves at the same time?

In which way do you think the piece resonates with today’s world and audiences?

We have new issues that divide us – Trump, Israel, immigration, Brexit, trans activism, cancel culture, we will always have opinions we hold sacred, and friends will always have opinions that we think we cannot stand. Politics will forever divide us. I think to myself – I cannot work with this person if they feel this way about Israel – but that person may not be evil, only wrong. And even when they say terrible things, they may not always feel terrible things. How can we keep ourselves open and still stand up for what’s right?

Tell us more about your character. What enticed you to play this role?

I play Benny Silverman, a character loosely based on Zero Mostel, among others. My mother and I absolutely adored this actor. He had a lightness about him, despite his enormous frame. His opinions were less appealing to me and my family. I grew up in a politically conservative household, but socially we were very liberal. My mother was a ballet dancer and my father a rock-ribbed Republican attorney for a major American corporation at the time. My father regularly boycotted artists he viewed as anti-American: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, etc. And while I shared many of my father’s values, I considered cultural boycotts to be morally wrong – the arts were a place where we talked, always. The blacklist was an anathema to me – people had opinions, but we had to keep the arts open for culture to improve. And then I watched some artists justify some horrible actions in the Autumn of 2023 and I wondered if I could ever listen to them again, or even ever work with them, if ever I was lucky enough to be offered. The issue was more difficult than I thought. When Jeff offered me the part, I knew this was an opportunity to think about these issues while I worked.

As an actor, what particular challenges have you found in this part?

I’m not REALLY an actor. I’m mainly a playwright. I co-wrote the 2018 Broadway hit The Lifespan of a Fact, among others, and I met Jeff and worked with Jeff frequently as a writer. When I act, I’m usually reading parts for other playwrights in private groups. Yes, I’m a member of the Actors Studio and take my acting classes and training very seriously, but this is all very challenging for me. And it’s such a big part. I always thought if I was going to be an actor, I would be the wise guy who shows up, tells a joke and leaves the play, a character actor who plays bit parts. I never dreamed I’d have such a large and challenging part as this. It’s all a challenge.

Why come see The Value of Names?

See The Value of Names for the humor, the history, and how the past speaks to today. It’s funny, it’s engaging, and it’s going to challenge the way you think. You’ll be talking to your friends after this one.

The Value of Names plays at London’s White Bear Theatre until 1 March. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara